I LOVE my worship team! This past Tuesday, during our practice, we were having a time of changing the way one of our songs were sung(harmonizing, echoing, etc.) and I was blessed by what I saw. Let me back up a bit. We are practically a "brand new" team as far as how long we've been working together. We've been together with our current team for almost a year, which is VERY new. So there's been lots of foundation building- lots of team building, open-ended questions of the night, things of that sort. Well, recently our pianist and my right-hand lady, Linda had a very prophetic dream concerning the level of worship we want and desire to be at. Since then, there has been lots of growth individually and together.
So that brings us back to Tuesday night. We were going over a song that's sung its usual way. But this time one of our newer vocalists had a suggestion(which is unusual in itself) and asked that we have the ladies harmonize with a whisper while I sing the lead. At first it was a struggle because it was way too quiet. One of our girls, whom I love like a dear sister, has always felt comfortable just blending in with my voice and "hiding" behind me vocally. So when they were asked to sing something completely different from me, I can see in her face a look of uneasiness. So we rehearsed it once, and then once again and it still wasn't sounding right. After a moment of quiet, another of our newest members stepped up and said (quote not exact), "I really feel like you are here because God called you. God gave you that voice to praise Him and not to be shy about it. Of all places you should be most comfortable, it's here."
WOW!! That broke and released something in her! The next time we sang it, it was as if Heaven opened up and the Presence poured on us! I looked back and with tears in her eyes, she sang with all she had. It was beautiful.
I've felt lately that what happens on Tuesday night will be magnified come Sunday and I'll be the first to say, I am so excited about what God's going to do to the people in the congregation who have been comfortable "blending" with other believers whilst hiding their own unique voice of praise. So if you are a prayer warrior, one thing I really ask that you do is pray continually for our worship team. The Lord is doing mighty things, therefore, the enemy is going to following right behind to make sure that doesn't happen. Also pray for this Sunday and every Sunday-that the Lord raises us to new heights in the worship team as well as the congragation.
I think the author of Hebrews had it right when he said "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb.10:25). And Paul as well when he said, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thes. 5:11). When I see these things happening in our church and especially with the worship team, I am all the more encouraged to stand firm in the faith with my brothers and sisters.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
A Miracle For The Senses
My wife and I have been reading through the entire Bible in a year's time. We've been through it four times and have started our fifth consecutive year. Every year it seems like we read a whole new Bible with whole new revelations. And this year's no different. We are reading through the book of John for the moment and I noticed something that I never realized before.
For starters, I'm referring to John chapter 11. Jesus' beloved friend, Lazarus, was deathly ill. I'm sure mostly everyone who's been to Sunday school as a child will remember this story. So that's why I wanted God to give me a fresh view on this passage. The thing that really spoke to me was what He has spoke to His disciples. He said for their sake, He was glad He wasn't there when Lazarus was sick. Why? I think it's because they've seen Jesus heal the sick. It would have been old news for them. I read this passage in "The Message" to see a different view of reading and in vs. 15, Jesus said," You're about to given new grounds for believing."
Just when the men thought they had seen Jesus do it all, He had something else planned. And by the sounds of it, something big. So fast forward to when they arrived to Bethany. Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. What's amazing is how Martha confronted Jesus. When my little sister had passed away at a very young age, I was so quick to blame God for what happened and even turned my back to Him. For any of you who have lost a loved one, you may know what I'm talking about. But Martha said the opposite. She said she knew Jesus could do whatever He wanted and it would be ok. She believed that whatever the circumstance, God and Jesus, the Messiah had it all under control.
Now the miracle. If you remember, Jesus was going to be "giving them new grounds for believing". I can just picture God smiling as He was planning all this. Sure, He could have just blinked His eye and "Poof!" out comes Lazarus. But God really wanted to make sure the people there remembered this. This was going to be a miracle that told just about all of our senses that there was a living and very active God. First, Jesus told the people to remove the tombstone. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that after 4 days of being dead, your nose will DEFINATELY know that Lazarus isn't going to be waking up any time soon. The next sense Jesus used was sound. He first spoke to God and thanked God for what was about to happen. He then shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" So the people there heard this Son of God speak to a dead man. Another sense he used to show His doing was sight. Lazarus came out of the tomb still wrapped in the grave clothes! And finally, touch. Jesus told the people to go and take the grave clothes off.
Now that's a miracle that everyone there was able to witness-even if they were blind or deaf. And just as amazed as Lazarus' family was and how grateful they were, I really think the lesson was for His disciples' sake. I think their faith was brought to "new grounds" after that day. So what about you? Do you need God to give you "new grounds for believing"? Let that be your prayer today as you read the whole chaper 11 of John with (hopefully) new sight.
For starters, I'm referring to John chapter 11. Jesus' beloved friend, Lazarus, was deathly ill. I'm sure mostly everyone who's been to Sunday school as a child will remember this story. So that's why I wanted God to give me a fresh view on this passage. The thing that really spoke to me was what He has spoke to His disciples. He said for their sake, He was glad He wasn't there when Lazarus was sick. Why? I think it's because they've seen Jesus heal the sick. It would have been old news for them. I read this passage in "The Message" to see a different view of reading and in vs. 15, Jesus said," You're about to given new grounds for believing."
Just when the men thought they had seen Jesus do it all, He had something else planned. And by the sounds of it, something big. So fast forward to when they arrived to Bethany. Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. What's amazing is how Martha confronted Jesus. When my little sister had passed away at a very young age, I was so quick to blame God for what happened and even turned my back to Him. For any of you who have lost a loved one, you may know what I'm talking about. But Martha said the opposite. She said she knew Jesus could do whatever He wanted and it would be ok. She believed that whatever the circumstance, God and Jesus, the Messiah had it all under control.
Now the miracle. If you remember, Jesus was going to be "giving them new grounds for believing". I can just picture God smiling as He was planning all this. Sure, He could have just blinked His eye and "Poof!" out comes Lazarus. But God really wanted to make sure the people there remembered this. This was going to be a miracle that told just about all of our senses that there was a living and very active God. First, Jesus told the people to remove the tombstone. Now, I don't know about you, but I think that after 4 days of being dead, your nose will DEFINATELY know that Lazarus isn't going to be waking up any time soon. The next sense Jesus used was sound. He first spoke to God and thanked God for what was about to happen. He then shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" So the people there heard this Son of God speak to a dead man. Another sense he used to show His doing was sight. Lazarus came out of the tomb still wrapped in the grave clothes! And finally, touch. Jesus told the people to go and take the grave clothes off.
Now that's a miracle that everyone there was able to witness-even if they were blind or deaf. And just as amazed as Lazarus' family was and how grateful they were, I really think the lesson was for His disciples' sake. I think their faith was brought to "new grounds" after that day. So what about you? Do you need God to give you "new grounds for believing"? Let that be your prayer today as you read the whole chaper 11 of John with (hopefully) new sight.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Well, here we go...
Hey there all who read this. This is my first time doing this so I'm not quite sure the outcome of this. I just hope it makes SOME sense to someone at one time or another. Anyway, my wife, Lenna does this all the time and let me be the first to say; she's the gifted one at doing these. So I don't think I'll have as many great revelations or words of wisdom as she does, but I hope that what I do put on here will speak to someone's heart. Anyway, that's all I have for right now.
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